Nebraska, Addison Williams Secure Official Visit from Blue Chip Defensive Back

Nebraska's retooled football staff seems to have several high-end recruiters; however, atop the list is secondary coach Addison Williams.

The former UCF defensive coordinator joined Matt Rhule's staff before the 2025 season and has since managed to sign a five-star recruit and put the Huskers in contention for several more top-tier positional prospects in the 2027 class. The most recent player NU is trending for is Julius "Juju" Johnson of Long Beach Poly (CA).

After recently securing an official visit date for the four-star recruit, here's the latest on the No. 7 defensive back in the country, including how a coaching change at another school has let Nebraska sneak back into the mix.

Update: A date is now set for a Nebraska OV

Details below https://t.co/3rM8rlmrE0
— Tim Verghese (@TimVerghese) February 12, 2026

First confirmed by Tim Verghese of Inside Nebraska, Johnson is scheduled to visit Lincoln over the weekend of June 5. As it currently stands, the defensive back is expected to be joined by a pair of linemen, but if the Huskers have their way, it will be more than that.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, Johnson is viewed as one of the most athletic players in the 2027 class, drawing interest from high major schools at multiple position groups. Currently expected to play within the secondary, NU will battle the likes of Oklahoma, Arizona State, Michigan, Oregon, and more for his eventual commitment.

Though Oklahoma was previously viewed as the heavy favorite, the Sooners' secondary coach, Jay Valai, has since taken a job in the NFL. His decision sparked a chain reaction that the Huskers are looking to capitalize on over the coming months. And they currently are the only confirmed program that has managed to lock in an official visit date for the blue-chip recruit.

The Big Red made the initial cut back in November of last year, but the California native may open things back up following Oklahoma's news. That doesn't necessarily mean anything bad for Nebraska, just that things are unknown at this point in time. Former Michigan assistant LaMar Morgan has been named as Valai's replacement, but the four-star's relationship with Williams and Nebraska may be the best as of right now.

NU offered Johnson as early as last year, and the defensive back has unofficially visited campus in the past. On September 20, 2025, the California native was in town during the Huskers' home game against Michigan, where they held former five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood to just 105 passing yards in a 30-27 loss.

After making an impression on him with the atmosphere and impressive play on the field, Williams felt good about where the relationship stood at that point, and now it appears the Huskers are possibly surging yet again. Nebraska's coaching continuity at the position helps a ton and may carry them towards vying for the lead in his recruitment heading into the summer of 2026.

As the only school that the four-star has scheduled an official visit with to date, Nebraska has, and will, continue to stay in regular contact with the high-profile cornerback. But that isn't the only position the athlete has been known to play. As a prep recruit, Johnson has been featured at both cornerback and safety, along with wide receiver on the offensive side of the ball. What stands out on tape is his ability to locate the ball in the air and put himself in position to come down with it at a high level.

Though largely viewed as a defender at the next level, with Williams' group coming off a season in which they ranked second nationally in passing yards allowed, the California native can see himself helping to continue that legacy for the Blackshirts were he to join. He wouldn't be the first top 10 defensive back to choose Nebraska, either.

In the 2026 class, the Huskers managed to hang on to the commitment of five-star cornerback Danny Odem of Orlando First Academy (FL). Williams' former stop at UCF played a pivotal role in making Nebraska appear as a viable option for the Florida native, and they were ultimately able to sign him to the class back in December of last year.

That bodes well for the Big Red, who are trying to continue that recruiting success in the class directly following Odem's. Only this time, they are attempting to do it roster-wide. Currently ranked as the No. 6 class in the entire country, Nebraska has a total of six verbal pledges to date.

One is from Omaha Central (NE) safety Tory Pittman III. Ranked as the No. 30 overall player in the cycle and the second-best safety, the will-be senior helps show Johnson that Nebraska, under Williams, is a choice worth considering at the very least. He wouldn't be the only blue-chip recruit to join the class for the Big Red and would give the Huskers three high-profile signees at a key position group within the last two classes.

Ultimately, neither Pittman III nor Johnson has signed on the dotted line, and Nebraska will have to continue to vet the in-state recruit till the end of the cycle, just like Johnson, but NU is showing it is not intimidated at taking big swings within the class.

The Huskers will likely continue to put themselves in recruiting battles with the top programs in college football during the 2027 cycle, as many believe this is the class the current staff has been saving themselves financial room for. Whether that is the case or not, regardless, Johnson's talents will not come cheap.

Yet neither did Odem's nor Pittman's, and here they are. The former five-star recruit is on campus this spring and is expected to make a run at a starting role as early as this fall. He appears to have a great opportunity to do just that and inarguably has one of the highest ceilings on the entire team.

Johnson, however, still has to complete his senior year before potentially joining the roster, just like Pittman. But, if he were to commit, it would give the Big Red serious reason for optimism at the position group heading into 2027 and beyond. For now, NU's staff will spend their time focusing on furthering the relationship with the California native, but soon enough, he'll arrive in Lincoln with the red carpet unrolled. June 5 is sure to tell a lot about where this recruitment is headed, so expect more news to come in the days directly following his official visit weekend later in the year. But for now, know that the Huskers have a great shot at capitalizing on their coaching continuity at the only defensive position that did not see changes made.

More From Nebraska On SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.